


i'll follow you (until you love me)

by yurishika



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 02:58:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1589153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yurishika/pseuds/yurishika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael and Chloe run a fan site for figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu. Little does he know that the eye contact that he and Yuzuru will share will go beyond the camera lenses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'll follow you (until you love me)

The watch reads 11:22a.m., ten more minutes until the flight is scheduled to land. Michael can feel the rare edges of impatience creeping up his consciousness, and he makes an exception today. He guesses it’s because he plops down his bed thirty minutes before when he’s scheduled to wake up to make it to their six a.m. call time in the airport. Not to mention that the NHK reporter beside him had been throwing him the occasional cautious looks that make Michael feel like he had suddenly grown horns. Then again, he’s standing in the media area of the airport’s VIP exit, and he barely looks the part, what with a shirt and baggy shorts for his outfit.

His companion does not look the least bit self-conscious, even if she’s wearing a sleeveless top and a miniskirt beside the reporter from _The Korea Times_ who’s wearing a black blazer and slacks. In the midst of the stares from seasoned journalists around them, Chloe is more focused on her prep work. On one hand she’s adjusting the camera on her lap; her phone is in her other hand, updating the site Twitter; and on her mouth is an energy bar she’s trying to chew. Michael makes a mental note to ask her on how she multi-tasks so efficiently, when the craziness has died down.

Michael feels an incoming yawn, and he tries his best to suppress it. There’s still seven minutes to go, and he and Chloe had fallen silent, so he breaks the silence, just to keep himself awake. “Did you get enough sleep?” he asks.

Chloe doesn’t reply immediately, which is expected, because she’s still chewing her energy bar. By the time she has finished, she hands Michael her phone, strapping her camera close to her as if she’s prepared for battle. “Nah, I barely slept a wink,” she says as if she’s talking about today’s weather. “Coke and energy bars do wonders, you know. You should try it.”

“And risk getting diabetes? I’ll pass.” Michael scrolls through the site Twitter’s notifications, full of people quoting their tweets and adding swear words that were never meant to offend. “The fans are all crowded outside the airport now. It’s crazy.”

Chloe stretches her arms and smiles like she had just won the lottery. “Ah, bless connections and media passes. What will you be without me, eh?”

Michael has the urge to roll his eyes, but he holds them, because he knows it’s true. If it weren’t for Chloe dropping everything upon the announcement of Yuzuru Hanyu’s flight details to pull some strings, they won’t be standing in the media area of the airport’s VIP exit. Connections are very important in this line of ... work? Hobby? Lifestyle? Michael’s not quite sure what he should call it.

“Five minutes,” Chloe tells him, looking at her watch as she stands up, holding her camera as if she’s ready to fire a gun. “Ready your weapons, Martinez.”

“Right.” Michael stuffs the phone in his jeans pocket, turns on his camera, ready for the chaos that’s about to come.

Chaos does happen within the scheduled time. The VIP exit swings open, and Michael’s finger hovers above the shutter release, just for a couple of seconds, because the seasoned cameramen are quick on their feet, pouncing from their side of the railings. The man of the hour walks out, wearing that suit jacket with sleeves too long for his arms. (In the background, he can hear Chloe recite her usual pledge to buy Yuzuru Hanyu a closet full of better-fitted suits should she be rich enough.) Michael finds himself staring, the realization that his idol is a couple of feet away from him suddenly hitting him hard. But then he remembers why he’s here, and he starts to focus, ready to keep pressing the shutter over and over again.

Michael is too focused on taking photos that he vaguely remembers everything that took place. He does recall Yuzuru being stopped by reporters, politely answering questions that he has been asked one too many times in the international news. Michael zooms the lens to Yuzuru’s face, his gorgeous face, and tries not to whimper. As far as everyone in this place knows, he’s part of the media, and he will act that part, calmly and professionally.

He keeps his pace of taking photos until huge men in suits usher Yuzuru to a black van that will take him to the hotel. From there, Yuzuru will take a quick rest before joining other skaters for a press conference to open the opening leg for Stars on Ice in this country. As soon as the van has sped off, all hell breaks loose, as all media clamber out of their side of the exit to race to the hotel. Michael is lucky that he’s able to pull Chloe close before almost being taken away by the stampede. “You okay?” he asks when the whole venue has been cleared, and they’re the only ones standing there.

Chloe’s hair is frayed on the edges, but she’s grinning. “Fantastic,” she replies as she runs a hand through her hair as a makeshift comb. “We better call our ride now, if we want to get to the hotel on time.”

 

 

 

 

Their ride comes in the form of Denis and Jinseo, who are snoozing in Denis’ car in the parking lot, and Michael hopes that the iced coffee they bought in the airport will compensate for the two waiting for them the whole morning. They owe the two a lot; their idol, Yuna Kim, had arrived at around four in the morning, yet they had been considerate enough to wait for them so they can head to the hotel together. Denis’ shoulders loosen up to see them walking towards the car, and he promptly starts the engine, causing Jinseo to wake up. “So, how did it go?” he asks as soon as Chloe and Michael hop in the back seat.

“I almost got trampled by a bunch of reporters, but I feel great!” Chloe singsongs the last word as she leans comfortably in her seat. “Well, I was expecting it to be chaotic, arrival of an Olympic gold medalist and all, but the best part is that we’re still alive.” Suddenly, she straightens in her seat as if something just came to her mind. “Oh shit. Previews. Michael. Give me the phone.”

“Oh, right!” Michael suddenly remembers it, too, and he fishes the phone out of his jeans pocket and tosses it to Chloe. Then, he takes out his own camera and starts scrolling through the gallery. They can’t forget the previews—it’s important to keep their followers in their toes, especially since this is Yuzuru Hanyu’s first time in the country.

Five minutes into the car ride, Chloe is still browsing her gallery with a frown on her face. “How to choose among all these flawlessness?” she bemoans. “I swear to god, Hanyu’s so perfect, it makes me cry.”

Jinseo looks over at them from the passenger’s seat, looking like he’s about to nod off anytime soon. “Can I have a look?” he offers. “Denis and I had the same problem when we were about to post our own previews, too.”

“Thanks.” Michael grins as he hands his camera to his friend. “Knock yourself out.”

It all started as a joke, this fan site. He and Chloe were watching the Sochi Olympics together, and they, and the rest of the world, got charmed by the nineteen-year-old Yuzuru Hanyu, his flawless skating, and the endearing way he held the Winnie the Pooh plushie during the kiss and cry, and before it was announced that he broke the world record for the score in his short program. Denis and Jinseo were already running a fan site dedicated to Yuna Kim at that time, and had covered all Yuna-related events in the country, and Chloe had jokingly suggested that they start one, too. Their two friends had played along, relating their experiences with covering events and dealing with uncooperative fans.

A month after the Olympics, Denis linked them the Web site to the Stars on Ice leg in their country. Michael and Chloe were doing last-minute cramming for their requirements for graduation when they clicked the link, and they almost screamed when they saw that Yuzuru Hanyu will be part of the cast. And as soon as they made sure that they will be graduating high school, they spent the rest of their free time coming up with the name of the Web site, the domain for the Web site, the logo, and many other things on the checklist Denis had kindly drafted for them.

A day after their high school graduation, The Blue Flames was born. Michael came up with the name, after his favorite Yuzuru costume, the costume he wore for this short program for the 2011 season, dancing to _Étude in D-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 12_. Three days later, he and Chloe had pitched in to buy the domain name. Two days after that, Julian had sent them the final design of their logo, just in time before they start planning for a month’s worth of Stars on Ice, of following Yuzuru in all his official events. Michael’s not exactly sure of what he signed up for.

His thoughts are interrupted when Jinseo looks back at their direction, handing back his camera. “I think this should make it in the previews,” he says with a grin.

The shot Jinseo had chosen is a close-up shot of Yuzuru’s face. He’s tilting down his shades as if trying to get a look at Michael beyond the lenses of the camera. It’s delusional, thinking that Yuzuru noticed him among the crowd, but it makes his heart race, nonetheless. “Yeah,” he says, softly. “I like that shot.”

 

 

 

 

They reach the hotel in record time, a couple of hours before the press conference is supposed to start. A crowd is already gathering outside the hotel, most of them holding customized flags with Yuzuru’s name written in hiragana. Denis steers towards the basement parking lot, where Julian is already waiting for them. He’s already looking dapper in a suit, and he looks at them judgmentally as they approach him. “Are you seriously going to the press conference dressed like that?” he asks disapprovingly.

“Obviously not,” Chloe says with a roll of her eyes, and that’s enough to make Julian shut up. “We still have a couple of hours to go before the press conference. We’re just going to nap, then change to better clothes. Speaking of which”—Chloe holds out her hand—“media passes.”

Julian sighs and fishes something from his coat pocket—four large, laminated IDs, the words “PRESS” in large, red letters. “Don’t lose them; I only asked for four passes, and Mom’s not going to give me anymore. Also,” he adds, “don’t do anything embarrassing, okay? The last time Mom allowed some fans in the press conference, it was chaos. They practically jumped on the platform and screamed their heads out.”

“Ah, that time someone almost kidnapped Patrick Chan,” Jinseo chuckles. “Good times.”

“Don’t worry,” Chloe assures him as she hands out the passes. “Unlike some fans, we are very calm. Now, come on, let’s make the most out of our break.”

Michael is very thankful that Julian’s mother is the manager of the hotel where the cast of Stars on Ice will be staying. He’s even more thankful that it was easy for Mrs. Yee to relent into giving them media passes for the press conference. Then again, her relenting must have something to do with last year’s press conference, when Denis and Jinseo had been on their best behavior (Jinseo’s already used to this, what with being part of their high school publication and all), so Michael is thankful for the both of them, too. This is a very huge opportunity, something that fans are usually not privy to.

Julian’s mother is generous enough to book them two rooms just for the day. Chloe disappears to her room while Michael joins Denis and Jinseo. Jinseo’s the first to grab his change of clothes and hog the bathroom, so Denis asks, “So, Michael, how’s your first fan site duty?”

Michael recalls the chaos at the airport and getting to see Yuzuru Hanyu outside YouTube videos. “Okay, I guess,” he replies with a shrug. “Well … admittedly …” He pauses, then grins. “I guess it’s really exciting. But I want my sleep after this.”

“Sleep will never be part of your dictionary after this, my friend,” Denis says, patting his back sympathetically. “Take it from someone who knows.”

They all set their alarms to half an hour before the press conference is scheduled to start, and they all lie down for a quick nap. Fortunately, they all wake up to the alarm, added to Chloe’s impatient knocking. Once they’ve checked that they have their camera gear ready and their media passes with them, they meet up with Julian, who ushers them to the ballroom, where the press conference is going to be held. Every media giant Michael is familiar with is already ready, cameramen and photographers starting their cameras and journalists furiously typing on their phones, and Michael feels small at the sight of it all. Julian gestures to their seats before disappearing, next to a guy around their age, wearing a flowery suit that Michael’s sure he has never seen in any fashion spreads ever.

It’s Denis who approaches Mr. Flowery Suit. “Yo, Misha,” he greets, his voice oozing with familiarity.

Misha looks up, and almost squeals, catching the attention of everyone in the room. “Oh my god, Denis!” He throws his arms around Denis, jumping up and down. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“Who’s he?” Chloe whispers to Jinseo, looking amused at this turn of events.

“His name’s Misha Ge,” Jinseo whispers back. “He runs the Patrick Chan fan site. He and Denis used to be neighbors, which explains the closeness. I met him in last year’s SOI, and we kind of started fan sites at the same time.”

“Small world,” Michael remarks, watching as Denis listens to Misha telling a story with matching embellished hand gestures; Michael’s pretty sure Misha can hit someone passing by if he keeps that up.

“Anyway, Misha,” Denis interrupts, stepping aside to introduce them to his neighbor, “you already know Jinseo.” He gestures to their direction, and Jinseo puts a hand up in greeting. “And here we have Michael and Chloe. They run a fan site, too.”

“Oh, that’s fabulous, nice to meet you!” Misha steps forward and shakes both of their hands, eyes twinkling in excitement. “So whose fan site do you run?”

“We’re new,” Michael replies. “The Blue Flames. Yuzuru Hanyu fan site.”

The moment Michael said those words, Misha’s expression changed from excited to impassive. He feels his blood run cold. Did he say something he shouldn’t have? He wants to get along with all fan sites as much as possible, Yuzuru Hanyu fan site or not, to build connections, to have someone to run to in case he and Chloe get in a bind …

“Misha.” It’s Denis who breaks the long, awkward silence, his voice an amused reprimand.

Misha groans and sighs. “Ugh, sorry, old habits die hard,” he says. He looks at Michael and smiles apologetically. “Sorry about that. I tend to be emotionally invested in these things, and since Patrick considers Yuzuru his rival in the figure skating scene, I guess the competitor in me got to me, too. No hard feelings?”

“No offense taken,” Michael replies as he mentally sighs in relief.

There’s a clearing of the throat behind him, and when he looks over his shoulder, it’s Julian. “Hey,” he greets, with a sense of urgency. “Press conference will be starting in a bit. Better take your seats.”

“Who’s he? He’s cu—”

“Misha. Please.” Denis sighs, although from the sounds of it he’s used to this already.

The noise dies down the moment the MC steps on the stage, thanking everyone for arriving before giving the background of the event and introducing the cast. A round of applause follows as the cast enters the ballroom one by one—Yuzuru first (and there goes Chloe groaning about his suit), Patrick (and there goes Misha whimpering), Yuna (Denis and Jinseo are calm, but he can tell that they’re dying inside), and seven other skaters. The cameras start flashing like crazy, though not as crazy as the moment in the airport, but Michael’s ready this time.

Yuzuru is seated across him, front and center. Michael would have wanted to flail, but he repeatedly reminds himself that he’s not like those fans that Mrs. Yee invited last year, and he wants Mrs. Yee to trust them again into letting them back in press conferences like these. So he continues taking photos and forgets about the whole interview, which is totally okay because Chloe is recording the whole thing anyway. He just focuses on capturing Yuzuru’s perfection on camera—how he awkwardly fiddles with his thumbs as the woman beside him translates the questions, how his eyes disappear into crinkles as he smiles, and too many other quirks to mention.

And even though Michael keeps his focus in taking pictures, that doesn’t mean he’s not having a hard time breathing.

The press conference ends on time, and they watch as Yuzuru and the other skaters wave at them before exiting the ballroom. Unlike the time in the airport, everyone stays in their place—the journalists typing up their reports in their phones, the photographers sorting out their photos, and the cameramen checking their footage. The five of them stay put in their seats, too, taking photos of possible previews to post on their site Twitters. By the time they’re done, Michael can feel the bits of exhaustion taking over, and he can’t wait to get back to their hotel room and take a long nap.

“Excuse me,” an unfamiliar voice suddenly says, breaking their silence. When Michael looks up, he recognizes the man hovering over them as the NHK reporter from the airport. “From which media organization are you part of?”

“Um …” Michael’s eyes apprehensively shift to Chloe, who, in turn, shifts her gaze to Denis and Jinseo, who then shift their gazes to Misha. They swore as much anonymity as possible, because god, that would be embarrassing if too many of their close friends find out they run a fan site and follow a famous person on official events and take his pictures. “Well, we’re—”

It’s Denis who’s quick to answer. “We’re just fans who happen to have really good connections.” He interrupts when the NHK reporter is about to say something. “But we don’t want to be interviewed. I believe the other fans outside the hotel would want the attention more than we do.”

The NHK reporter blinks in surprise, but he nods and motions for his photographer to follow him out of the ballroom. As soon as he has closed the door, the five of them heave a collective sigh of relief. Close call.

 

 

 

 

Michael and Chloe post their first batch of photos and their first camera a couple of days later, and the response is far from what they expected. Michael impatiently refreshes their Web site dashboard and the site Twitter’s notifications, and he’s both in delight and disbelief as the number of hits, shares, and retweets rise by the minute. Denis and Jinseo send them their congratulations for The Blue Flames’ successful debut, and even Misha started following them. Michael tries his best not to freak out because it’s two in the morning, and his mother is going to kill him for making a racket.

His timeline calms down an hour later, and he thinks that’s a good time to LINE Chloe. “Are you still alive?” he asks.

He receives a sticker of a character rolling on the floor, followed by a “Still alive but I’m barely breathing~”

Michael chuckles, more because he sang the song in his head. “Well, good job to us,” he types. “We should celebrate soon.” He remembers Chloe mentioning something about this new Korean buffet near their university, and he’s itching to go there.

“Maybe not today,” Chloe replies. “Maybe when the whole craziness is over. We still have SOI, the meet and greet, and—oh my god, did your mom allow you to go to Yuzuru’s courtesy call with the president?”

“Don’t worry, I got it covered,” Michael says, and there’s no denying that he’s very sure of this. Why wouldn’t he be allowed to go? His mother has been working in the president’s office even before he was born, and his aunt is the person in charge of the entire courtesy call. Getting media access was really, really easy.

“Great!” Chloe sends him the sticker of the bald LINE character giving a thumbs-up. “Sorry I can’t be there. Julian and I had this whole out-of-town thing planned for months.”

“It’s okay,” Michael types. “It’s summer vacation; we’re allowed to have fun every once in a while. I’ll LINE call you for a full-blown account anyway.”

“This is why I love you. Anyway, good night!”

“’Night, Chloe.” And Michael logs off with her, ready to crash on his bed for a good night’s sleep, sleep that he will never be able to catch up on for the entire summer vacation.

 

 

 

 

Monday arrives too soon, and Michael almost doesn’t wake up if not for his mother shaking him awake and threatening to leave him alone. It’s four in the morning, and he should really still be asleep, but he knows that his mother will be his ride, so he really doesn’t have a choice. After making sure his camera gear is ready and working, and that his phone is fully charged, he quickly takes a shower and puts on some decent clothes before following his mother in the car and to the presidential workplace.

Michael has barely gotten out of the car when he caught a glimpse of the large crowd waiting outside the building, and it’s not from a group of protesters this time. He recognizes a few of the fans as those waiting outside the airport last week, holding their usual customized fans. He feels relieved because he won’t be like those fans waiting under the heat of the sun.

They step out of the car and walk at the back entrance, to the entrance hall, where his aunt is busy talking to someone in her walkie-talkie. She greets his mother then snickers at Michael, who looks down in embarrassment. “I didn’t even know you’re into figure skating,” his aunt comments.

His mother scoffs, and Michael doesn’t say anything, just smiles and nods.

“Anyway,” his aunt continues, “Yuzuru Hanyu will be stopping here upon entrance, and the president will be waiting for him. Then he’ll receive a plaque in the Heroes’ Hall, after which he’ll have a tour around the palace.” As she explains, she points to the specific blockings. “Media has permission to take photos only in this area”—she gestures to where they’re standing now, as well as the places on the corners of the entrance hall where the video cameras are being set up—“so try not to be an embarrassment, okay?”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Michael promises.

Michael doesn’t have to wait long, because his aunt starts speaking to someone in her walkie-talkie, screams are heard outside, and the photographers and cameramen step forward in their designated areas. Flustered, he fishes his camera out and gets ready, too.

Yuzuru’s wearing a different suit from the press conference, but it’s still too long for his arms. Michael’s glad Chloe isn’t here to shake her fist to the heavens, though she’ll find out soon enough anyway. He stops thinking about that to look at Yuzuru through his camera lens and clicks away.

Yuzuru Hanyu is escorted by bodyguards then shakes the president’s hand. He can barely hear what the president is saying, but it gets Yuzuru to smile shyly and for the clicks in his camera to go off quickly and simultaneously.

Yuzuru and the president start heading up the grand staircase when he feels a hand on his shoulder, which he recognizes as his aunt’s. “I’ll help you get closer, if that makes you happier,” she says with a grin.

Michael mirrors her grin. “That’ll be great!”

The tour of the presidential workplace feels like it had gone for hours. Michael guesses it’s because his mother has toured him here one too many times in his lifetime that he’s practically memorized every room by now. But he controls his impatience and blends in with the media photographers into capturing every moment.

Finally, they’re headed to the third and final floor, and the next thing he knows is that he’s just near Yuzuru, his back turned to them. He bets every Yuzuru fan is dying to be in his shoes right now. Michael thanks his lucky stars, too, but this is making him nervous more than excited.

Someone calls Yuzuru’s name; some the crowd from outside has been allowed inside, for some reason. Yuzuru had paused just as Michael had just climbed the second floor, and he turns around, probably on instinct. And because of this, Michael finds himself staring into deep, dark eyes that are also looking back at him. Michael feels his heart literally plummeting because _shit, eye contact, how to breathe_. “Hi,” Yuzuru says, and there goes his eyes disappearing into crinkles once more.

“Hi?” Michael greets back, and he’s glad his voice didn’t come off as a squeak. He is calm on the outside, but he’s literally dying on the inside at this very moment. Thank god the bodyguard has gestured Yuzuru to keep on going, in which he smiles at Michael again before going ahead.

Finally, the tour is over, and they all head to the state dining hall for breakfast. The photographers and the camera men have not stopped with taking photos and videos, but Michael’s no professional, and he heartily accepts the breakfast plate his mother places on the table. Despite that, he keeps a close eye on Yuzuru, who eats his breakfast and gives occasional, awkward nods as the president and other government officials beside him make chatter.

When Michael is done with his breakfast, he is suddenly pulled up by his mother, who is suddenly looking more excited than he is on most occasions. “Where are we going?” he asks.

“You like this Yuzuru Hanyu kid, right?” his mother asks as she looks at him pointedly. “Well, you are going to get a picture with him.”

“I—what?!”

“Yuzuru!” his mother greets, as soon as they approach, and Michael’s praying to the gods that he won’t puke his breakfast out of nervousness. “Meet my son, Michael!”

When Yuzuru looks at their direction, he feels his heart is pounding too hard that it’s going to jump out of its ribcage and perform the Macarena for everyone to see. Yuzuru smiles at him, the same smile he gave him in the stairs a while ago, and he offers another shy “Hi” before extending his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Uh ...” Michael forgets about his vocabulary for a split second before he puts on his best smile and shakes Yuzuru’s hand, which are nicely soft and warm to the touch. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“My son is such a huge fan of yours!” his mother continues. “In fact, he and his friend started a fan site dedicated to you!”

“ _Mom_ ,” Michael groans; his only wish at the moment is for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Okay, so one of the goals he and Chloe agreed on for the fan site is for Yuzuru to notice their existence, but he didn’t want him to find out this way. Suddenly, all the questions come rushing to him. What if Yuzuru thinks it’s creepy? What if—

He watches as Yuzuru’s eyes widen, and then he blinks as if he’s trying to process this brand-new information. Finally, he says, in stilted English, “That’s … great.” He manages a sheepish smile. “Uh, thank you.”

Michael still feels embarrassed for being introduced like that, but not so much. This actually went better than expected. At least Yuzuru didn’t think he was some sort of stalker, and his smile can only widen in return.

“Yuzuru,” his mother speaks up again, camera already out of her bag, “can my son take a picture with you?”

“Oh, sure!” Yuzuru stands up and instantly drapes an arm over Michael’s shoulders. He wants to pinch himself because getting a picture with his idol is something that he had chosen to give up, all for fan site duties, but he can forget about that for a couple of seconds. He tries to contain his feelings and puts on his best, calm smile as he and Yuzuru pose for his mother’s camera.

And then there’s another camera taking their picture, the president’s official photographer oh dear god—Chloe and Denis and Jinseo are gonna have a field day when his face gets featured in the president's official Web site, and that would be an embarrassing topic for the days to come ...

When it’s all over, Michael mutters a quick “Thank you” and quickly walks away before he gets identified. Still, if he’s being honest with himself, that was one of the best fandom-related moments in his life.

 

 

 

 

The official photographer did not release his photos with Yuzuru in the official Web site, fortunately for him. He can’t resist, however, grabbing his photo from his mother’s camera and using it as a new Facebook profile picture. Michael’s not sure if that was a good or bad idea because the likes came pouring in like crazy, and Chloe is suddenly more amused than jealous as he narrates to her the turn of events.

“This is too great a story, I wish I was there,” Chloe laughs for the nth time. She and Michael are hanging out in their favorite Korean restaurant after meeting with a printing press for their first-ever Blue Flames fan project, and it is going great so far. Michael hopes it will be a success. “I bet you were dying inside.”

“I self-combusted,” Michael admits as he takes a kimchi from the side dish plate with too much force than he intended. “But, I was calm, thank god, and Yuzuru was nice.”

“I hope he never forgets you,” Chloe says as she mixes her kimchi jjigae. “Like, I hope he’ll recognize you from the crowd and make tons of eye contact with you so we have pictures of him looking at the camera that can kill a thousand fans!”

“You’re really evil, you know that?”

Chloe doesn’t look the least bit sorry, looking delighted after taking a bite of her food. “I post previews of our pictures when the people least expect it, I’ve practically embraced my evilness.”

Michael sighs, and forces himself to accept that Chloe is going to kill him and many other Yuzuru Hanyu fans in the near future.

 

 

 

 

Michael has never really watched an ice show his entire life, not even those Disney on Ice shows that had been going on this year, so he doesn’t really know what to expect. It’s totally understandable, because it’s only after the Olympics and running a fan site for Yuzuru Hanyu, that pulled him into wanting to know more about the sport and getting to know the other skaters. So far, he can slightly distinguish the different jumps and spins, and he’s more appreciative of other skaters. Also, he blew off the allowance he had saved up supposedly to buy new shoes to buy front-row tickets to Stars on Ice. He doesn’t regret his choices, though. The leg of Stars on Ice only comes to their country once a year, so he really thinks this will be worth it.

The show starts in the evening, but he and Chloe meet up with Denis, Jinseo, and Misha in the morning to go over lots of stuff. And by lots of stuff, that meant buying stuffed toys and flowers to give to the skaters. Michael and Chloe buy a Winnie the Pooh plushie and a couple of roses for Yuzuru, then they indulge and buy other plushies and flowers to throw to the other skaters, too. They both are literally jumping in their seats in excitement as they let time pass in the café near the arena, listening to Denis, Jinseo, and Misha share their previous SOI experience.

They’re one of the early-bird buyers of the front row seats, which give them a chance to get a sneak preview of rehearsals after lunch time. Michael can barely contain his excitement when he and the others enter the arena to see almost all the skaters in the rink. Granted, he has already seen them in the hotel during the press conference, but it’s still surreal to be seeing these great athletes in their element, and not just in YouTube videos.

“Ready your weapons, Martinez,” Chloe whispers as she fishes out her camera and starts setting up her bazooka lens. Beside her, Denis, Jinseo, and Misha are setting up their cameras too, that it feels like they’re getting ready for a war, not an ice show.

He’s quick to spot Yuzuru in the rink, in the all-black outfit he usually wears whenever he practices. Michael watches as Spanish skater Javier Fernandez comes up next to him and says something that made Yuzuru’s head tilt back in laughter. He does a quad jump, barely bumping into Kanako Murakami, who yells something that Michael doesn’t understand. But still, Michael finds himself chuckling at the interactions, making sure that these moments are captured. He cheats a bit, too, to take shots of Mao Asada, the Shibutani siblings, Daisuke Takahashi, until he ends up taking pictures of everybody.

Then Jeffrey Buttle is shouting directions at Yuzuru, who nods, though not without a tinge of confusion. Suddenly, he skates to their direction, and Michael almost jumps when Yuzuru pauses right in front of him, eyes wide. “Oh shit,” Michael almost says out loud because he thinks Yuzuru recognizes him as the kid who runs his fan site and has a crazy mother and—

“Hi.” Yuzuru is grinning at him, cocking his head to one side as he makes a small wave.

Michael opens his mouth, closes it again, then repeats until he finds his voice. “Hi,” he greets back, and this time his voice comes as a squeak, and he just wants to drop everything and run away and never come back.

“Yuzuru!” Jeffrey calls, and Yuzuru nods to him before skating to Jeffrey’s direction. Michael mentally sighs in relief because he was completely not prepared for that one.

“Oh my god.”

When Michael looks, Chloe and the others are staring at him as if a wild giraffe had just popped out from behind him. He blinks. “What?” he asks, as if nothing really happened.

Chloe is about to say something, but she shakes her head instead. “Nothing, nothing,” she says before turning her attention back to the rehearsals in front of them. Michael doesn’t pry, because he knows he’s going to be in for a lot of teasing later on.

 

 

 

 

Sure enough, the teasing started over their early dinner.

“You know what I think?” Chloe asks, and she’s doing that singsong way of saying stuff that means that she’s not going to get the whole conversation off topic.

But Michael tries anyway. “No,” he replies, reaching for his glass of water.

The attempt is unsuccessful, which doesn’t surprise him. “I think Yuzuru Hanyu’s got a crush on you.”

He knows Chloe has her own special level of delusions, but this is so ridiculous that Michael actually chokes on his water. It doesn’t help that Jinseo is laughing at him as he pats his back soothingly. “What the actual—?” he says once his breathing has gone back to normal.

“Oh come on, he actually remembered you from the courtesy call,” Chloe points out, gleefully tucking her chin on her hand. “He has a thousand fans, but his eyes light up in recognition the moment he saw you.”

“That’s because I got introduced as the guy who runs his fan site,” Michael says with a roll of his eyes. “That should explain why he remembers me.”

“Yuna eventually remembered us after so many ice shows,” Denis mentions helpfully.

Misha glares at Denis and hits him on the arm. “Denis. Please. That took Queen Yuna _years_. It took Yuzuru a couple of days. Big difference.”

“Sorry, Michael.” Denis looks at him apologetically.

“Besides,” Chloe continues, “you should have seen the way Yuzuru has been looking at you during rehearsals.”

Michael blinks. “… What?” he says. He racks his brain for any recollection of Yuzuru looking at him aside from that one moment of recognition, and he’s got nothing. “Are you sure? Because he could have just looking at something else … or someone who’s not me.”

“I swear to Julian’s perfect hair that he was,” Chloe replies, raising her right hand as a form of pledge. “After he recognized you and he was practicing his jumps, he kept looking to your direction. As if”—she pauses for dramatic effect, then smirks—“as if he’s checking to see if you noticed him.”

Michael tries to recall again, but he can’t remember ever seeing that. Then again, maybe that had happened when he was busy taking photos of Kanako and Mao sharing a laugh. Maybe that was when Yuzuru had glanced at him—

Wait.

“No way.” Michael shakes his head furiously. “There’s no way Yuzuru Hanyu has a crush on me.”

“But what if he actually does?” Jinseo asks, matching Chloe’s smirk. “Things like these don’t just happen in fan fiction, you know.”

“Yeah!” Misha chimes in. “You have to remember that Kate Middleton gave us all hope when it comes to matters of the heart like these!”

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Michael announces, standing up and striding away to shake the conversation off because, _in all seriousness_ , the odds of Yuzuru liking him is so low. He just recognized and acknowledged him as someone who runs the fan site, that’s all. Nothing romantic about that.

“I ship it,” he hears Jinseo saying. “I totally ship it.”

“S.S. Mizuru!” Misha cheers with unnecessary flourish as he raises his glass, and he hears the clinking of the glasses, the three making a toast.

Michael almost trips on his way to the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

To be honest, watching Stars on Ice is already considered one of the best things he has ever watched in his life. It was so amazing that Michael forgets to take pictures on some occasions just to watch the grand show of it all. He feels he has lost his voice screaming and cheering from opening until the finale. He fell in love with Yuna and Mao’s grace as they jump and glided and spun, laughed at Javier and Tomas’ quirky programs, and clapped along to the beat of every skater’s music.

And, of course, there’s Yuzuru, and the moment he appears on the rink for his program, the applause was thunderous. Chloe has grabbed onto his arm, gripping it tightly, and he can hear that she’s starting to sob, and who could blame her? Yuzuru Hanyu is going to perform their favorite program, his first _Romeo & Juliet_ program. The moment Michael watched this performance in the 2012 Worlds on YouTube, it made him tear up. And now, he’s going to see it in his own eyes.

“Michael …” Chloe is shaking him now. “Oh my god, Michael.”

“I know …” Michael chokes on his words. He wants to laugh at himself because Yuzuru hasn’t even started skating yet, and he’s already having an emotional breakdown.

Michael wishes he can just put down his camera and watch the entire thing, but he knows he can’t. Fans unable to watch Stars on Ice are relying on them for photos, and he can’t let them down. He knows what it’s like to want to know what’s going on in an event he wants to go to but can’t, and he wants to share this moment with all of them. So he readies his camera.

Through the lens, he can see Yuzuru looking around at the cheering crowd, then stops at his direction, a small smile forming in his face. At that moment, Michael remembers Chloe’s words, but he stops himself into thinking further. Yuzuru could be looking at anyone but him, so he keeps his focus.

What he loves the best about Yuzuru is how he throws himself into the music and how his jumps, his gestures, his every move allows everyone in the audience feel what the music’s supposed to make them feel. Michael allows himself to cheer as Yuzuru lands his quad toe at the beginning of the program, then in all of his jumps thereafter. There’s a certain intensity to his program tonight, however, more intense than the time he performed this again for the World’s exhibition this year. Michael’s not sure what brought this up, but it’s precisely this intensity that made him enjoy this program more.

When Yuzuru ends the program, he’s met with a standing ovation all over the arena. Michael forgets about his camera and starts clapping and cheering along, Chloe hugging him while she jumps up and down. Jinseo and Denis are screaming their lungs out, too, and even Misha seems impressed.

Somehow, when Michael looks at Yuzuru, Yuzuru finds his gaze, and they share a smile. This time, Michael allows himself to believe, just for a couple of minutes.

 

 

 

 

The performance is over, and they allow themselves to finally put down their cameras. They hang out again in the café near the arena and start taking pictures for the previews to post in their Twitter. Jinseo and Denis share some shots of Yuzuru they’ve taken, and Michael and Chloe do the same. Misha doesn’t have much Yuzuru shots, which is not a surprise, but has some Yuna shots Jinseo and Denis can use. (Misha thinks Patrick and Yuna look cute together, figure skating royalty and all.)

They’re about to leave the café when its doors open, and to their shock, the skaters walk in. At least, there’s Yuna, Mao, Yuzuru, Kanako, Alex, Maia, and Patrick. There are some girls at the back who started screaming, and who could blame them? The stars they had just watched and cheered for a while ago are here, wearing their rehearsal clothes, looking ready to celebrate the success of their first night.

It’s surreal, though, and it doesn’t help that the five of them have taken the table closest to the door, and they were the first group of people the skaters have laid eyes on. Misha already looks close to hyperventilating, while the usually calm Denis and Jinseo look shell-shocked. Chloe had clutched onto his arm once more, spilling a bit of tea from the paper cup she’s holding.

The group of girls at the back shyly approaches the skaters as they take their orders in the cashier, and they ask to pose with them for pictures. The skaters happily oblige, and it takes more of their time to pose with the girls (and eventually the staff of the café) and sign autographs than actually ordering. He can feel from their side the actual need to ask the skaters for pictures, too, but no one is making a move.

“I think we should …” Chloe whispers after all the skaters take their seats on the biggest table in the café, and she’s very fidgety.

“Yeah, we should.” Denis grins. “It’s time to not be a fan site admin for once.”

Misha is already ahead of them, his camera ready. “Let’s go?”

They’re all about to get up to approach the skater when Yuzuru looks over his shoulder, his eyes suddenly brightening in recognition. He stands up and, to their surprise, approaches their table, and before Michael knows it, _the_ Yuzuru Hanyu is hovering over him, a smile on his face. “Hi,” he says, for the second time that day, and Michael wonders if their conversations will always be like this.

He feels everyone’s eyes on him, and Michael can feel the heat on his cheeks, but he wills himself to calm down. “Hi,” he greets back, hastily standing up. “Um … you were great tonight.”

Yuzuru beams. “Thank you,” he says, and Michael’s surprised as to how shy he sounds. “Um, thank you for watching.”

“It’s … not a problem …?” Michael isn’t able to hide the curiosity in his voice. Did Yuzuru come to their table just to tell him that? Did he tell that to the girls at the end of the café, too? And then he remembers what he’s supposed to ask. “Um, can we take a picture with you? My friends want to take pictures with you guys, too.”

“Oh, okay!” Yuzuru’s eyes drift to the camera he’s holding and takes hold of it. Michael’s suddenly hyperaware that he’s having hand-to-hand contact with Yuzuru Hanyu _shit_ — “This camera?”

Michael gulps, and he hopes it isn’t obvious that he’s getting a mini heart attack at how Yuzuru’s fingers are curling over his. “Y-yeah!” he replies, giving his best normal grin.

He’s glad that Yuzuru withdraws his hands from his a little bit after that to call his group of friends. It’s all a fuzzy blur, because Michael has hopped from one skater to another, talking to them and telling them how amazing they are. The usually calm Denis can’t stop hopping in his place as he talks to Yuna, while Jinseo laughs at something Mao had said. Chloe is talking to Maia and Alex about some film-related topic, and Misha had practically shown Patrick pictures of his supposed younger brother who is a leader of a boy band in Korea. Michael tries to make small talk with Yuzuru, but it all goes back to him talking about Romeo & Juliet 1.0, with Yuzuru laughing sheepishly.

They pose with every skater, and Yuzuru is the last to pose with him. Yuzuru throws his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer and flashing a smile, eyes disappearing into crinkles once more. It’s so infectious, Michael realizes, when he sees Yuzuru’s smile up close, that he can’t help but smile, too, and ignore the hoots his friends are making.

They say their thanks, and Michael and his friends start packing up because it’s already beyond the time they promised their parents they’ll be at home. But before he can even turn around, Yuzuru has his hand on Michael’s shoulder. When Michael looks, Yuzuru is looking at him expectantly. “Yes?” he asks.

“Will I …” Yuzuru pauses, hesitantly, biting his bottom lip before he continues. “Will I be seeing you again?”

Michael blinks. What is Yuzuru asking him that for? “Do you want to …?”

“Yeah.” Yuzuru nods. “Yeah, I want to see you again.”

Michael really wants to ask if Yuzuru’s sure about that, and why would he want to see him again, but he can’t bring himself to. It’s like everything he’s about to ask got stuck midway from his brain to his mouth, and his heart is doing jumps higher than Yuzuru’s triple axels. “Well, I’ll be in the SOI meet and greet on Friday,” he says. “You’ll be seeing me again. Definitely.”

Yuzuru’s face splits to a beam. “Okay!” he says. “See you!”

When he catches up with his friends who are waiting for him outside the café, Chloe is giving him that look, that look that means he’s going to get another round of teasing. “Don’t start whatever you’re about to say,” he warns, and he thinks the warning fails because he can’t stop smiling.

“Can I be honest?” Chloe has fished out her camera from behind her.

“No,” Michael replies, just trying because Chloe is going to bring up Yuzuru liking him again, which is totally impossible. Yuzuru is just being nice to his fans, that’s all; he’s always nice, as far as what he had observed. He just stood out probably because he’s seen him in at least four occasions now.

Chloe shows a preview to him, the picture of him and Yuzuru, and Michael feels his face heating up. Her smile is, strangely, no longer teasing, more on sincerely happy. “I’m saying this with all the honesty I have,” she says. “You two look really cute together.”

Michael takes a good look at the photo, and he remembers how Yuzuru looked like he wanted to see Michael again in the meet and greet. He mentally shakes his head. _No, control your delu, Michael._ “Come on, let’s go home,” he says as he leads the way to the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

“I’m saying he likes you.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Yes, he does.”

“It’s impossible.”

“But what if it is possible?” Chloe bats her eyelashes at him, a usual tactic to persuade Julian into obeying her every whim. “I mean, sure, it’s too good to be true, but _what if_?”

Michael does not want to entertain the possibility for the nth time. He looks at the window from his seat in the bus and makes a move to stand up. “Come on,” he tells Chloe. “Our stop is here.”

The Stars on Ice meet and greet is located in the convention center next to the arena. The program starts at 2p.m., but he and Chloe arrive in the venue the moment the mall opened. And even when they’re early, there’s already a short line from the entrance of the hall where the meet and greet will be. Not that they’re complaining. He and Chloe, as well as Denis, Jinseo, and Misha, made their reservations online, so they’re good as in, even if they fell in line late.

“So why are you falling in line and opening the convention center?” his mother had asked him as she prepared his lunch earlier. Michael could easily buy his lunch in the mall, but his budget for the month had been stretched enough as it is, and he blames fan site expenses for that.

Michael had shrugged. “We’re going to take photos. We need to be in the front.”

“You tend to be late for school and for visiting your grandparents, but you can be extremely early for a meet and greet.” His mother had shaken her head. “I do not understand your priorities, Michael.” She didn’t say it as a reprimand, though, more on amusement.

“Believe me, Mom, I don’t understand my priorities either,” Michael had sighed as he accepted the sandwich and the tumbler of cold water.

The fans lining up before them are looking at them curiously as they take their seats on the floor, plopping their bags behind them to save space for Denis, Jinseo, and Misha, who are on their way. Michael ignores the stares thrown their way. They want to be as low-key as possible while running the fan site.

“So,” Chloe says as soon as they’ve settled down, “ _what if_?”

Michael groans in frustration.

Fortunately, Jinseo arrives shortly with a paper bag of melon buns, buns that Chloe quickly devours because she hadn’t eaten any breakfast. Denis and Misha arrive soon after, looking like they’re about to go camping. Chloe is, too. All the skaters are special guests in the national sports fest tomorrow, in a town three hours away. “Where will you be staying?” Chloe asks.

“Remember Chris?” Denis says, opening his bag to take out his camera and lens. “It so happens that he lives near the sports complex where the national sports fest will be held. It’s convenient!”

“And where are _you_ staying?” Misha asks Chloe, who has finished eating and is now assembling her lens.

“I have relatives up there; I told them some friends are competing and I’ll be there for moral support.” She sticks her tongue out, feeling accomplished at her little white lie. Then she turns to Jinseo. “So why aren’t you going?”

“I’m meeting up with some friends from the school paper,” Jinseo answers, a melon bun still in his mouth. “I’m gonna live vicariously through Denis.”

“That makes two of us,” Michael says. “I have a family reunion tomorrow, and Mom just guilt-tripped me into going.”

They talk about figure skating and other fandoms, and Michael and Chloe ask some more questions about running a fan site until the ushers tell them to stand up because they’re going to start letting people in. The fans in front of them make a run for it, but fortunately for them, and despite the heavy bags, they manage to get seats on the front, right side closest to the stage. As soon as they’re comfortably seated, and with one more hour left to spare, Michael opens his bag and starts setting up his camera.

As he does this, he can hear Misha singsong-ing mischievously. “I bet twenty bucks someone’s gonna get eye contact with Yuzuru Hanyu today.”

“Well, of course,” Michael says with a roll of his eyes. “Yuzuru practically recognizes me by now.”

“I bet twenty bucks Yuzuru Hanyu’s gonna give him lovey-dovey eye contact,” Jinseo snickers, aiming his camera at the stage to test the shots. He’s frowning when he checks the shots. “Oh my god, the lighting is horrible.”

“Can we not bet on this?” Michael requests, and suddenly he feels so tired.

“Okay, okay, we’ll give it a rest,” Jinseo says, a hand up in surrender. “Then we’ll talk about it when you’re not around,” he adds with a smirk.

“You are such great friends,” Michael sighs dryly.

“We do our best.” Chloe hugs him by the arm then pats his cheek, just as the screams start erupting from the entrance of the convention hall. “Come on, Martinez. It’s show time.”

The skaters have already arrived, flanked by bodyguards, and the five of them almost pounced from their seats to take the first shots. Yuzuru’s wearing a white shirt underneath a red vest, then black pants and red sneakers, and he hears Chloe thank god from the heavens above. When he waves, the crowd cheers the loudest and the camera shutters sound consecutively as if it’s never going to end.

The meet and greet program is actually very short. The skaters do their introductions, Javier and Alex do an impromptu hip hop battle to the delight of the audience, and many other shenanigans. Michael and Chloe position themselves close to the security guard, who is eyeing them curiously. Michael makes sure they’re not on somewhere they’re supposed to be before going on with taking photos. Jinseo, Denis, and Misha had disappeared somewhere, but he isn’t really worried about them. They know what they’re doing.

Most of the meet and greet is spent on the autograph signing, the line forming some sort of spiral in the entire convention hall. The five of them didn’t even bother lining up. There’s media all over the place, and they’ll risk getting identified. Besides, they already had their photos from that night in the café after Stars on Ice where few people had seen them lose their dignity over a photo with a group of their favorite skaters. That’s already enough.

The security guard next to them taps Chloe’s shoulder. “Do you guys want to go in?” he asks, gesturing to the large space between the space and the railings. He seems amused at their antics.

Chloe blinks. “Are we allowed to?” she asks.

The security guard shrugs. “You guys are already on the way here. Might as well go all the way,” he replies, grinning. “Just don’t do anything crazy, all right?”

“Thanks, sir, you’re the best!” Chloe flashes her sweetest smile then gestures for him to follow.

Michael chooses his vantage point by the side, and Chloe sprints forward and takes a seat on the floor. It’s a funny sight, if he’s being honest, because Chloe’s wearing a sleeveless black dress and wedges too tall and is practically sprawling on the floor to take pictures. Even the nearby security guards and some of the media cameramen are chuckling at the sight.

Yuzuru Hanyu is shy and awkward throughout the meet and greet. There are a couple of girls who ask him for a hug, and he complies, though it doesn’t look like he’s thoroughly enjoying it, especially when the girl refuses to let go. Javier, next to Yuzuru in the line of skaters, is quick to save, tapping the girl as if asking for attention.

By the time half of the crowd in line has disappeared in the stage, Michael takes it as a sign to approach the stage to get closer shots. By that time, Yuzuru is laughing at this girl’s drawing of him cuddling a Winnie the Pooh plushie. Michael finds himself ignoring the shutter release just to simply stare and marvel at how endearing Yuzuru Hanyu is right now. (He hopes Chloe caught that on camera, though.)

Yuzuru stops laughing to look out at the stage, and Michael only realizes that a couple of fans have crowded next to him and are taking pictures, too. Yuzuru smiles and looks from one camera to the next, then lingers in one camera … his camera. And slowly, his smile has gone brighter, lips almost reaching his eyes.

Michael forgets how to breathe, and he smiles back, too.

They all regroup an hour later, tired but satisfied with the shots they have. They take their seats on the chairs that were meant for special guests and start snapping previews on their phones. It’s more difficult this time around, especially when they’ve used up two memory cards with a thousand-something photos in each. Michael is already bemoaning the fact that he’s going to go through these photos and choose a few for the index update, and that’s a huge task at the moment.

Once previews are done, Misha is the first to stand up, a grin on his face. “That was a productive day,” he says. “Wanna have dinner?”

“Great, my metabolism burned all those melon buns.” Chloe stands up, too, and stretches, then freezes midway when she sees someone from behind Michael. “Oh. My. God.”

“What?” Michael looks over his shoulder to see why Chloe, and now the others, are staring at, and it turns out, the skaters are headed to the exit on their side, Yuzuru leading the way. There’s some kind of excited childishness as Yuzuru walks fast to their direction, and this childishness tugs at his heart in endearment.

He doesn’t expect Yuzuru to be stopping in front of him, grinning again. “Hi,” he greets, and Michael wonders if their greetings will always be like this.

“Um … hi?” Michael wonders why the others aren’t greeting Yuzuru until he realizes that Yuzuru’s only saying hi to him. _Shit_.

“You came.” Yuzuru’s words are cautious, maybe because English is still foreign to him and he can’t properly put his thoughts to words just yet, but he can sense the joy in there.

“Yeah, I did,” Michael replies, and he’s better in the language, but for some reason, his mind draws a blank on what to say next. _Great, Martinez. Just great_.

Suddenly, one of the bodyguards steps forward. “Let’s go,” he instructs, leading the way. He can see the disappointment in Yuzuru’s face, but it disappears quickly as he gives Michael this apologetic smile and a short bow before following the others out.

Michael doesn’t realize that he’s staring at Yuzuru’s disappearing form until he hears the clearing of the throat. That’s when he sees Chloe, Denis, Jinseo, and Misha giving him pointed looks, and oh my god, he knows what they’re thinking. “Don’t,” he warns them, with a glare for emphasis. “Don’t say whatever you guys want to say.”

For once, they did what he asked of them.

 

 

 

 

The family reunion is a surprisingly short affair, he and his mother having lunch with the immediate family, and he finds himself laughing at his relatives’ stories about their childhood. For once he keeps his accounts offline. He’s pretty sure that Chloe is going to crash in her relatives’ place as soon as the sports fest is over. So he keeps the day as fandom-free as possible, and hopes he’ll get really good news from Chloe when they meet in the café near the printing press tomorrow.

Chloe is surprisingly calm when they met, and she tells him the details he already got from the media. The photos, however, are flawless as usual. He laughs when he sees Yuzuru looking tiny as he runs next to the local basketball players, Yuzuru and Kanako fooling around after the athletes’ run is over, and a thousand more photos he knows he’s going to agonize over.

“There’s something else,” Chloe tells him when they’re seated comfortably in the café. They had just finished going over some details for Yuzuru’s birthday project, something that they’re more excited about, now that it’s been confirmed that a competition will be held here in December, on Yuzuru’s birthday. The Blue Flames are going to make sure that this will be delivered to him on his special day.

“What?” Michael asks, sipping his latte.

“Yuzuru approached me yesterday,” Chloe tells him. She sips her own latte, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “He was looking for you.”

“He was?!” Michael didn’t want that to come out loudly, but it did, and now everyone in the café is staring at him. “Are you sure?” he asks, in a lower voice.

“I’m sure.” Chloe is enjoying his reaction, and he wishes looks can kill. “You can ask Denis and Misha, if you don’t believe me. He went to our side of the sports arena and asked, ‘Where’s Michael?’” She giggles. “I can’t believe he remembers your name! I mean, he never mentioned it the last two times he saw you!”

Michael doesn’t believe it either. He’s pretty sure he’s just one of those fans who follow their idols everywhere to take their picture and to get noticed. But Yuzuru always finds him in a sea of thousands, even remembers his name … He doesn’t want to be delusional, but …

Chloe is leaning against her seat, putting her fingers together in what looks like a celebration of an impending victory. “Admit it,” she says. “You think Yuzuru Hanyu has a crush on you, too.”

Michael wants to deny it, but he remembers the gazes, those smiles, being approached out of everyone in the room, and … He sighs and buries his face in his hands, trying to control the rush of heat on his face.

He hears Chloe’s squeal of the delight. “I win the bet!” she cackles, and when he looks up, she’s typing excitedly on her phone. “The boys owe me fifty bucks each!”

Michael groans.

 

 

 

 

Okay, so there’s strong evidence that shows that Yuzuru Hanyu may have a crush on him. And he may be too slow, or too in denial more like it, to admit that possibility. He regrets not acknowledging it sooner, though, especially now that Yuzuru’s on his way back to Toronto to train for the upcoming season. He’ll be back in December, and that’s eight months away. Yuzuru could have forgotten about him, or could have gotten over him, by the time they see each other again. 

But soon that thought gets pushed to the back of his mind. He and Chloe finally start university, and they’re busy with adjusting to university life, joining clubs, and losing sleep over schoolwork. In between that, they try to make time for The Blue Flames’ first birthday project, and they are surprised by the overwhelming response, both locally and internationally. 

Eventually, they both pulled through. Their first birthday project earned more than they initially expected, which gave them more funds to buy something better than what they first planned. 

Giving the gift suddenly became easy, especially now that Yuzuru has been confirmed to be representing Japan in the competition to be held here. Easier, because Yuzuru will be staying in the hotel that Julian’s mother manages, and because of their professional behavior in the press conference, they had been cleared to give the gift to Yuzuru on his birthday. 

The day finally came. They’re already in the hotel, ready to give the gift, when Chloe steps aside. “I think you should be the one to give it to him,” she suggests, with a grin. 

Michael blinks; this was not part of their plan. He and Chloe should both be giving the gift to Yuzuru, as they both worked hard for it. “You’re part of The Blue Flames, too,” he points out. “You should at least be there when I knock on Yuzuru’s door.” 

“Yeah, but”—Chloe shrugs—“I think he’ll like it better when it’s you. Now go.” She pushes Michael towards the hallway where Julian says Yuzuru’s room is. He looks at her pleadingly, but she just pumps her fist and says, “Fighting!” before disappearing. 

Michael looks at the door before him. He’s supposed to knock, reintroduce himself, give the gift, and then be gone. But maybe there’s a chance that Yuzuru isn’t even in his room, which gives him less reasons to pani— 

The door suddenly swings open, and before him stood Yuzuru Hanyu. He’s wearing his usual ill-fitting suit, and he almost jumps to see someone in front of his doorstep. Michael opens his mouth to say something, and he comes off as a stuttering mess. “H-Hi!” he says. “I bet you don’t remember me, but I’m part of The Blue Fl—” 

“Michael!” Yuzuru’s eyes suddenly brighten, and he steps forward to hold Michael’s free hand. “Nice to see you again!” 

_Shit, he’s holding my hand._ “Um …?” He doesn’t really know what else to say, given the fact that Yuzuru actually remembers his name and the fact that Yuzuru holding his hand is making the butterflies in his stomach go on a mutiny. “Nice to see you, too. Um …” He holds up the bag on his other hand. “I want to give you this. From your fans. Happy birthday!” 

“Oh, thank you!” Yuzuru beams as he accepts the paper bag, laughing when he sees its contents. Michael internally sighs in relief, because he and Chloe had practically spent three whole weekends shopping for everything and debating on whether Yuzuru will like it or not. 

Now, he’s done what has to be done, and he guesses he’s supposed to leave right now. “Well,” he says, breaking the brief period of silence, “I guess I’ll go now? Happy birthday again, Yuzuru.” 

“Wait.” Yuzuru grips his hand more tightly, and Michael really has no choice but to stay put. The skater bites his bottom lip ( _No, don’t, he thinks_ ), as if trying to find the right words to say, and Michael allows himself to be hopeful. “Um …” Yuzuru finally says, looking at him as if about to say a plea. “Do you want to have dinner?” 

Michael blinks. Is Yuzuru … asking him out? He panics, because tonight’s the welcoming dinner for the skaters, and he’s not exactly a skater, nor is he dressed for the occasion. “N-Now?” he asks. 

“No!” Yuzuru says it too loudly that Michael flinches. “I mean … after the competition? I have a day off before I go back to Japan, and …” He hesitates again. “I didn’t get to ask you out last time, so I’m taking my chance now.” 

This is really happening. Michael can now hear Chloe’s victorious “I told you so!”, but he ignores that for later as he puts his other hand on Yuzuru’s, his heart beating quickly, and a wide grin on his face. 

“Sure,” he replies, almost breathless. “I’d really like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- cross-posted to taisetsukotoba@LJ and mizurumonday @ tumblr  
> \- i don’t know how this reached to 11k words srsly  
> \- this fic is based on the real-life adventures of team yelo bear and tropical friends. thank you so much for being such an inspiration throughout the whole writing process!  
> \- this fic is dedicated to tropical friends, for being the most amazing and supportive friends that they are. tf noonas really love you! <3  
> \- of course, very special thanks to clemencio, my beta, and to tablo and procopio for leaving the usual comments of encouragement in the gdocs hihihi  
> \- the title of the fic is taken from _paparazzi_ by lady gaga.


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